


Stepping Into the Light

by LuvBusters



Category: Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Comfort, Emotional Instability, F/M, Malnutrition/Anorexia, PTSD references, Pure mushy stuff, Self Esteem Issues, Sexual Situations, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-11 12:23:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15972242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: Janine continues her struggle with self esteem issues and returning to her normal life after the defeat of the Lotsabucks.





	1. Listen to Dr Spengler

**Author's Note:**

> This is another piece that serves as a sequel to After the Darkness. I’ve always had my own thoughts about the aftermath of the Lotsabucks and how Janine felt during that time. Thank you to TheMusicalCC; I love that story that deals with the same issues (Of All the Voices in my Head, The Loudest One is Mine). Wonderfully written!

After running a series of tests, Egon and Ray proved to Janine that the physical effects of the Lotsabucks transformation were reversed and the hold she had on Janine was indeed broken. Egon had decided to return with Janine to her apartment and stay a few days in case she still had issues with panic attacks.

As they entered her apartment, Janine threw her purse on the couch and practically fell limply into a chair in the living room. 

Egon closed the door. He looked very concerned about Janine’s lack of energy. 

Janine could sense Egon’s stare, even with her eyes closed. “Egon, will you please stop staring?”

“How did you know I was staring?” Egon asked, trying to sound innocent but failing.

“Because that’s all you’ve been doing ever since we left the Firehouse,” Janine replied.

“I’m sorry, I’m just very worried about you, Janine,” Egon said. “I wish you would try to eat something.”

Janine sat up, a frustrated look on her face. “Egon, I appreciate your concern; I really do. But if I eat anything right now, I’m gonna just throw it up. I can’t hold down much food. Guess it’s my nerves?” 

Egon knelt down in front of Janine, placing his hands on her knees, looking her in the eyes. 

“I’m about to break Cardinal Rule #1 when it comes to “Things Guys NEVER Ask Women,” Egon said. “But I need to know.”

Janine, very curious as to what his question was, asked, “Ok, let’s hear it.”

“Janine, how much weight have you lost?”

Janine’s eyes narrowed, biting her bottom lip to keep herself from yelling. She took a deep breath, then let it out. 

“Why do you need to know?” She asked, sounding very annoyed.

“Because it’s obvious you’ve lost quite a bit and I’m deeply concerned about malnutrition issues. I don’t want you to have to go to the hospital for dehydration,” Egon replied. 

Janine began to shift to stand up. Egon removed his hands from her knees and stood up as well. Janine stood and walked towards the kitchen. Egon followed. 

She turned around to face him.

“What I’m about to tell you has to stay a SECRET,” Janine explained. 

“Of course,” Egon promised.

“I weighed 120 pounds before the changes started. When I weighed myself earlier this morning, the scales read 98.”

“JANINE!” Egon shouted. “That’s 22 pounds!”

Janine burst into tears. 

“You honestly think I don’t know that?!” Janine shouted back. “I know I look like a freakin skeleton! I want to eat more but when I try, I throw it up!”

Egon stepped in and pulled her into a tight embrace. 

“Shhhh,” He consoled her. “I’m sorry. I just want to help. We’re going to take this one step at a time, small steps. You’re going to be fine, I promise. But you’re going to have to listen to me.”

Janine had calmed down and looked up at Egon as she wiped her eyes. “And what does the good doctor suggest?” She tried to smile.

Egon smiled back. “First of all, start with a warm shower to relax. Then, get some rest.”

Janine nodded. “I can do that,” she said. 

Egon then said, “I’ll stay close by if you’d like? In case you have nightmares or panic attacks?”

“I’d appreciate that,” Janine said softly.

Egon gave her a light kiss on her forehead before releasing her. 

Janine started to make her way down the hall towards the bathroom that adjoined her bedroom. She had almost made it to the bedroom door when she suddenly stopped, placing her hand against the wall for support.

“Janine!” Egon shouted as he rushed to her side. 

He was able to catch her by her waist before she collapsed into his arms. He scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way to the bedroom. He gently laid her on the bed.

“I’ll get a cool washcloth,” Egon said. When he returned, Janine had drifted to sleep. Egon gently placed the washcloth across her forehead and sat down on the other side of the bed. He watched and waited as she slept. “Oh Janine,” Egon thought to himself. “You’ve got a long way to go but we’ll get there.”


	2. Baby Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon tries to persuade Janine to eat and take better care of herself.

Janine slept thirty minutes since she collapsed by the bedroom door. She moved the washcloth from over her forehead. Egon was sitting next to her on the bed going over pages of notes. He turned and smiled at her. 

“Hi,” he said. 

“Hi,” Janine mumbled. “What happened?”

“You passed out by the bedroom door. I’d like for you to try and eat something but I’ll need to go to the store first. Your fridge and cabinets are not well stocked,” Egon replied. 

“Yeah, haven’t had time to get groceries,” Janine said with a yawn. 

“Well, the guys are coming over soon,” Egon said. “I called them earlier while you were sleeping. They’re going to stay here with you while I go out.” 

Janine rolled her eyes. “I don’t need a babysitter, Egon,” she said, clearly annoyed.

“I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone, especially since you’ve passed out,” Egon pointed out. 

Janine knew she couldn’t win this argument, so she slowly sat up, preparing to stand. “I’m gonna get a shower,” she said. 

“Are you steady enough?” Egon asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Janine said.

She gathered some fresh clothes and went into the bathroom, closing the door. Egon heard knocking at the door. 

Egon walked through the apartment, opening the door. Winston, Ray and Peter came in. 

“Where’s Sleeping Beauty?” Peter asked. 

“In the shower,” Egon replied.

Peter grinned mischievously and asked, “Oh? And you’re not in there scrubbing her back?” He then gave Egon a playful wink.

Egon blushed, then glared at Peter. Before he could respond, Ray cut in.

“Why don’t me and Winston stay here while you and Peter go get groceries?” Ray asked Egon. 

“Yeah,” Winston said. “We can make sure Janine takes it easy.”

Egon agreed. Peter took the keys and they left the apartment. 

Ray and Winston made themselves at home in the living room, channel surfing on tv. 

Janine entered the living room about twenty minutes later. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a button up lavender blouse. She had reapplied fresh makeup and had fixed her hair. She smiled when she saw Ray and Winston.

“Hi guys! I take it you two were ‘volunteered’ to be my babysitters?”

They both smiled. 

“Actually, i suggested it,” Ray said. 

“Yeah, we don’t mind,” Winston said with a smile. “Just here to give you some brotherly support.”

Janine smiled and walked over to sit on the couch next to Ray. They decided to watch a movie on tv; one of those cheesy B-rated sci-fi movies.

Meanwhile, Egon and Peter were shopping for groceries.

“So, how’s she really doing, Spengs?” Peter asked while pushing the cart.

“I’m concerned,” Egon said. “She passed out on her way to the bathroom. She also said she can’t eat very much because she’ll throw it up.”

“You don’t believe her?” Peter asked, frowning.

“I believe her; I just don’t like her attitude about it,” Egon responded.

“Think she’s hiding something?” Peter asked.

“Like what?” Egon asked.

“Maybe she has an eating disorder?” suggested Peter. 

“That would explain the weight loss and not wanting to eat,” Egon said. 

“And the throwing up,” Peter said.

“I can’t believe Janine would do that,” Egon said.

“She’s done a lot of stuff lately that we never thought she’d do,” Peter pointed out. 

“All because of me being a coward,” Egon said sulkily.

Peter stopped walking abruptly, causing Egon to stop and look back at him.

“We’ve already had that discussion, Egon,” Peter said sternly. “You were not the cause of Janine’s self esteem issues. She had suffered years of verbal and emotional abuse for years. Your hesitation of telling Janine you love her didn’t help the situation, but it sure as hell didn’t CAUSE it.”

“Fair point,” Egon agreed. “So what do we do?”

“I could talk to her, have a session with her?” Peter suggested. 

“I think that is a good idea,” Egon agreed. 

They finished their shopping and returned to Janine’s apartment.

“What’d you do?’ Buy the whole freakin store?!” Janine said, her eyes wide in disbelief. Egon and Peter had returned with six bags filled with food. 

“Am I supposed to feed the whole damn building?!” She asked.

“I just wanted to make sure we had enough to last a few days,” Egon said. 

“That’ll last all week!” Janine said with a laugh. 

Ray and Winston were snickering; the whole situation looked rather amusing.

“What’s so funny?” Egon asked.

“This just sounds so.....domestic,” Winston said, then started laughing.

Ray joined in. “It’s really sweet, actually,” he said. 

“Yeah, whats next? Picking up tampons on the way home from work?” Peter said, then broke into a fit of laughter. 

Egon looked at Janine, not seeing the humor in the situation. Suddenly, Janine burst into tears of laughter; Egon then broke down and started laughing, too.

“Baby steps,” he thought to himself. “Get her relaxed first. Then, get her to eat.”


	3. A Talk with Dr. Venkman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter attempts to get Janine to open up about her issues.

Peter wanted some time to talk to Janine. He was hoping she would open up about her problems so he could help her move past it. 

“Janine, why don’t we take a little stroll outside?” Peter suggested non-chalantly. “Some fresh air will help.”

“Yes, and I’ll work on dinner,” Egon said. He smiled at how truly domestic he was starting to sound. 

“Sure,” Janine said flatly. She wasn’t really very enthused but she knew Peter wasn’t going to let it go.

As she went to her bedroom to get her shoes, Peter told Winston and Ray his plan. They agreed and stayed at the apartment to assist Egon with dinner.

As Peter and Janine walked along the sidewalk, Peter began his session. 

“So, are you still feeling anxious? Any nightmares?”

“I figured you’d end up tricking me into a shrink talk sooner or later,” Janine said with a smirk. 

“It’s not a shrink talk,” Peter said offended. “You’ve gotta start eating, Janine. And you might still have issues with panic attacks and nightmares for a while. I wanna make sure you’re aware of that and that you understand how important it is to take care of yourself.”

“I’m sorry, Peter,” Janine apologized. “I’m just really tired. I haven’t slept good in a while, since this Lotsabucks shit started.”

“What about not eating?” He asked.

“My nerves are so shot, I can’t stand to eat much at one time. My appetite hasn’t been normal in a while. Not since the changes got more intense a few months ago. I didn’t realize I was losing weight on my own. I had asked the witch to take off a couple of pounds but that was it literally - a couple of pounds.”

Peter put his arm around her shoulder in a brotherly way. 

“Well, it’ll be easy enough to put the weight back on,” Peter said Light heartedly. “Just not sure how much you’re gonna be able to eat if Spengs is doing the cooking!” He laughed.

Janine snorted, too, then broke into giggling. 

*****************  
When Peter and Janine returned to her apartment, they could smell something really good. 

“Mmmm!” Janine said. “I love spaghetti! Please tell me you cooked spaghetti!”

Egon, Ray and Winston all smiled, very proud of themselves. They had everything spread out on the table: spaghetti, garlic bread, tossed salad and red wine. 

Peter held the chair out, motioning for Janine to sit down. “Madame, if you would please?”

“Why thank you, sir,” Janine said as she sat down. 

They all sat and ate a lovely dinner. They laughed, enjoying each other’s company and the good food. Afterwards, Peter helped Egon with the dishes. Janine tried her best to make them sit down so she could do the dishes, but they insisted. 

Peter used the opportunity to talk to Egon. 

“I think she’s being up front, Spengs,” Peter said. “She said she hasn’t slept good in a while, since the changes got more intense. Her nerves are shot which has affected her appetite. I think after she’s had some time to truly rest, she’ll eat better. She said she had asked for the Lotsabucks to take off a couple of pounds; she didn’t realize she was losing weight on her own.”

“Hmm,” Egon said. “I wonder if the creature actually prevented Janine from seeing the natural changes?”

“Like she did with us noticing the different looks she had made?” Peter suggested. 

“Exactly,” Egon said. 

“Well, she did eat half of the food on her plate,” Peter pointed out. 

“Yes, she did,” Egon said. “It’s a start.”

*****************

Later that evening, after Peter, Ray and Winston had left, Egon joined Janine on the couch. 

“You look like you need to rest,” Egon said gently. 

“Yeah,” Janine replied, trying to stifle a yawn. “But...,” her voice trailed off.

Egon looked at her facial expression; it was a mixture of sadness overlaid with fright. Her face was pale. He knew from personal experience what that look meant. 

“You’re afraid you’ll see it in your dreams, aren’t you?” He quietly asked her. 

Janine looked him in the eyes, tears forming quickly. 

“How did you know?” she whispered.

Then she realized how he knew. “The Boogeyman?” She asked.

Egon nodded. “Yes, sometimes I still dream about him but it’s not as bad now.”

Janine sat with her hands in her lap, wringing them over and over. Egon reached over and took her hands in his. 

“Janine, I’m going to stay with you as long as you need - until you’ve gotten a handle on this.”

She kept looking down at her hands, tears starting to slide down her cheeks. 

“I’m not used to being like this,” she said between sobs. 

“How’s that?” Egon asked.

“Weak,” Janine answered flatly.

Egon took one hand and with his fingers, tilted her chin up to make Janine look at him. He spoke gently yet firmly. 

“You are not weak, Janine. You’re the strongest woman I know.” 

Janine smiled. “I’m not used to crying about everything in front of people. I’m supposed to be the tough, gritty gal from Brooklyn, ya know? Not some cry baby that can’t get her act together! A bag of out of control hormones that make me wanna kill myself!” 

Janine then broke down into an uncontrollable sob. Her breathing became labored. Egon tried frantically to calm her down. 

“Janine, please, take deep breaths, slowly,” Egon begged. 

Slowly, Janine started to imitate Egon’s deep breathing method, and in the process, began to calm down. She wiped away her tears before sagging heavily in his arms. 

Egon held her against his chest, whispering, “Shhhh, I’ve got you. It’s ok.”

Janine sat up and looked at Egon. “I’m scared, Egon,” she whispered.

“Of what?” He asked. 

“That I’m going crazy,” Janine said shakily.

Egon smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. “You’re not going crazy. Your hormones are readjusting to the reversal of the changes that were made. Peter said once you truly rest, you’ll start to feel better.”

“How am I supposed to truly rest?” Janine asked. 

Egon pulled a prescription bottle out of his jacket pocket. 

“What’s that?” Janine asked, looking at the bottle closely. “It says Valium! Egon, What the hell are you doing with a bottle of Valium?!”

“It’s Peter’s. When his dad passed last year, a doctor friend of his gave him this prescription to help him rest. He was a complete mess, if you remember?” 

“And now I’m gonna take it?” Janine asked.

“He didn’t use all the medication. He told me while I was packing my bag to come here that you could use them if you needed it. I really think you should take one,” Egon pleaded.

Janine was never the type to pop pills; she didn’t even like taking Tylenol. But she knew Egon was right; she desperately needed to rest. And this seemed to be the best way.

She got up and went to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water. She returned to where Egon was sitting and reached out her hand. Egon placed a Valium in her hand. She swallowed it and then went to her bedroom. Egon walked with her to make sure she didn’t pass out again. 

She looked back at Egon and asked shyly, “did you mean it when you said you’d stay with me?”

“Yes,” Egon said. 

He walked up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed Janine on the lips. She placed her hands on his waist as the kiss deepened. He slowly moved to her neck; she moaned lightly, her breath on his cheek. 

“Oh, Egon,” she whispered.

Egon hummed lightly as he continued to kiss back up to her lips. His hands slid down the front of her blouse, slowly unbuttoning it. Suddenly, he stopped, pulling away. 

“What’s wrong?” Janine asked, disappointed that he stopped. 

Egon blushed deeply. “I didn’t mean to .... you need to rest...I...” he stuttered.

Janine smiled, placing his hands over her breasts. Her blouse fell open, revealing a skimpy white lace bra and ample cleavage. “Please, don’t stop,” she begged. 

Egon moved his hands away from her breasts and pulled her blouse closed. 

He nuzzled his nose against hers, Eskimo style, and said, “This isn’t the time; you need to rest and properly recover from your ordeal first.”

Janine smiled, still disappointed, and asked, “But after that....?” 

Egon raised one eyebrow and smiled. “Yes.”

He then turned and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him to give Janine privacy to change clothes.

Once she had changed into her pajamas, she opened the door to let Egon know she was decent. She laid down in the bed while he propped himself up beside her. 

“Aren’t you gonna sleep?” Janine asked, her eyes getting heavy.

“Eventually,” Egon said. “I’m going to work on my notes for a while. But I’ll stay with you.”

“All night?” Janine asked.

“All night,” Egon replied. 

Janine laid down facing Egon and closed her eyes. She couldn’t fight the Valium any longer. Egon watched as she slowly fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	4. Breakfast at Janine’s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon bribes Janine so she will eat breakfast.

It was morning when Janine woke up. She couldn’t remember the last time she slept through the night. She felt refreshed for the first time in a very long time. She could hear Egon fixing breakfast in the kitchen. 

She smiled, thinking to herself, “I need a shower. Then I’ll see what he’s up to.”

Egon heard the water turn on in the shower. He smiled, realizing Janine was awake and obviously feeling well enough to get a shower. 

Twenty minutes later, Janine walked into the kitchen. She had gotten dressed, fixed her hair and even put on makeup. 

She was surprised to see that Egon had cooked quite a breakfast. On the table she saw pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast and hash browns. There was also coffee and orange juice.

“Are the guys coming over?” Janine asked.

“No, just us,” Egon said.

Egon held the chair for Janine as she sat down. He had already fixed her plate. 

Janine frowned. “Egon, I can’t eat all of this.”

Egon smiled. “Just eat what you can. I got a little carried away.”

Janine grinned. “A little?” She smirked.

Egon blushed slightly, then started to eat.

Janine ate a little less than half the food on her plate, then started to pick at it.

They continued making small talk, but Egon was noticing the fact that Janine had stopped eating.

“Could you eat a bit more?” Egon gently asked. 

Janine glared at him, pushing away from the table. “So that’s what all of this is?! You’re trying to fatten me up!” She screamed. 

Egon panicked. “No! I just wanted to cook a good breakfast for you, to help....” his voice trailed off. 

Janine was so angry, tears were sliding down her cheeks. 

“To help fatten me up! What’s next - a visit to the doctor to get a damn physical?! Or better yet, a padded room over at Bellevue!”

Egon walked over to Janine, trying to put his hands on her shoulders. But she jerked away from him. 

“Why won’t you believe me?! I can only eat so much! You went through so much trouble to make this perfect and it all tastes so good....” Janine started to calm down. “I don’t wanna overdo it and throw up this wonderful breakfast.”

She finally allowed Egon to step forward and hold her against him. She cried for a few minutes, then calmed down. 

Egon could smell her rose scented shampoo as it mixed with her light floral scented perfume. Her skin was so soft and smooth; he loved the feel of it. He lightly kissed the top of her head. 

Janine tilted her head up and looked up at Egon. She tiptoed to plant a kiss on his lips. 

Egon deepened the kiss and tightened his grip around her, moving his right hand up to cup the side of her face. He slowly started kissing her down her neck, once again moving his hands down to the front of her blouse. She had put the lavender button up blouse on again. As he continued to kiss around her ear, he unbuttoned her blouse slowly. 

Janine moaned as she could feel Egon’s hands slipping the blouse off over her shoulders. This time, he didn’t stop. He returned to kissing her lips. As he did, his hands circled around her back. He felt the bra clasp and, surprisingly, was able to get it unhooked quickly. He pulled back slightly so he could watch her expression as he gently slid the straps down and over her arms. Janine shivered slightly, Egon assumed from anticipation. 

He smiled as he looked at Janine standing there topless. “You’re absolutely beautiful,” he whispered.

Janine pulled Egon to her, running her hands through his hair. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, hovering over her. 

Egon trailed kisses down from her neck down to her breasts. He kissed and suckled each one gently. Janine squirmed and moaned as he did. Egon made a mental note that Janine’s nipples are obviously very sensitive. 

Janine’s breathing got heavier, her moans louder. “Oh Egon!! Please, more!” She begged.

Egon smiled while unsnapping her denim shorts. In one smooth movement, he removed both her shorts and panties. He then trailed kisses from her belly button down. He gently spread her legs, dipping his head down between her thighs. 

“Egon, oh yes, yes, please!” Janine breathed heavily. 

Hearing Janine moan and call out his name encouraged Egon to be even bolder. Without stopping his tongue movements against Janine’s clit, he carefully inserted one finger inside her. 

He could hear Janine gasp, her legs spreading even wider, her hips moving in rhythm with his tongue. Egon curled his finger inside, rubbing against a spot Janine wasn’t aware was there. 

“OH GOD, EGON!!” Janine screamed. 

Egon slipped in a second finger and repeated the action. Janine’s breathing was faster now, her muscles twitching and clenching. Egon knew she was close and he was determined to bring her over the edge. 

He sped up his tongue movements on her clit, placing his entire mouth over it. He alternated from circling his tongue over her clit to sucking on it. Within moments, Janine screamed out his name one more time, grasping the sheets in her hands, arching her back while her legs shook. 

Egon eased his tongue and slowly removed his fingers as Janine relaxed from her orgasm. He laid down beside her and watched her slow her breathing to normal, smiling down at her. 

Janine turned on her side to face Egon. She smiled back.

“Wow! That was amazing!” she said, still catching her breath.

Egon smiled, “I enjoyed it.” 

Janine slowly sat up, looking back at Egon. 

“I think I feel like eating a little more now,” she said. “Care to join me?”

Egon smiled from ear to ear. “No thanks, I’ve already eaten.”

Janine playfully threw her pillow at him. Then she realized something. 

“Egon! You tricked me into going back for more breakfast!”

“I prefer to call it a bribe,” he said. 

“Well, I can handle bribes like this,” Janine said. She then got up, grabbed her blue silky robe and returned to the kitchen. 

Egon hadn’t planned for things to go this way but now that they had, he looked forward to lunch.


	5. Seeing the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine is able to let go of what happened with the Lotsabucks.

Janine had finished breakfast and had also just finished washing the dishes. Egon had tried to help but Janine insisted not to. “You cooked, the least I can do is clean,” Janine had said.

Egon was sitting on the couch finishing up his notes. Suddenly, he sat up and looked at Janine.

“Get dressed,” he urged.

“What now?” Janine asked.

“We’re going for a walk,” Egon suggested. “I think you’ve been cooped up inside too long. You need some fresh air.”

A few minutes later, Janine had changed. They had taken a cab to Central Park and were walking along, holding hands. It seemed Egon’s idea had worked. The color was starting to return to Janine’s face, she even seemed a bit stronger. 

They eventually returned back to Janine’s apartment. She was in much better spirits, happier, stronger. 

Later that evening, after dinner, Janine had decided to go to bed. She didn’t want to overdo it. Egon stayed up a bit longer going over his notes in the living room. An hour passed, then Egon was startled out of his thinking.

“STOP! I WON’T HURT HIM!!” Janine screamed.

In a flash, Egon was by her side in the bedroom. He switched on the bedside lamp and sat on the side of her bed. Janine was sitting straight up, still asleep.

Egon gently grabbed her shoulders and said firmly, “Janine! Wake up! I’m here!”

Janine woke up, tears streaming down her face. As she realized what had happened, she calmed down, slightly embarrassed. 

“Sorry,” she apologized.

“No, it’s ok,” Egon reassured her. “You were having a nightmare. Or, actually, reliving what happened that night at the docks. But it’s ok. It’s over and you’re safe. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Janine was still shaken up. Her hands were trembling. Egon reached over and took her hands in his. 

“It’s really ok,” he whispered. 

“How do you manage it?” Janine asked. “How do you manage your nightmares?”

Egon looked at Janine very seriously. “I’ve had a lot of time to work on it. But it hasn’t been easy. And sometimes I still have them. But I just remind myself that it isn’t real; that my life is better now. And nothing can change that, unless I allow it.”

Janine smiled. “Wow, that’s pretty powerful.”

“Yes, well, so are you. And you can work through this, Janine. You can beat it.” Egon squeezed her hands. “Together, we’ll beat it.”

He leaned over and kissed Janine lightly on the lips. Janine laid back down and pulled the covers over her. She turned and looked at Egon over her shoulder.

“Will you stay?” She asked.

Egon turned off the light, then laid down beside her, spooning her from behind. He wrapped his arm around her waist. “Of course,” he whispered.

After two more days, Janine returned to work ready to get back to her normal routine. She still had nightmares but they were slowly becoming less frequent and not as intense. Peter assured her that this was a very good sign. 

Another two weeks passed, and Janine’s original personality had returned, her brassy Brooklyn grit stronger than ever. The guys were very happy to see everything returning to normal. The only thing different was how close Egon and Janine had become. And that, of course, was a welcome change.

Everything else had returned to normal. Janine was back to yelling at Slimer for eating the donuts she had bought, and she had even resumed her verbal sparring with Peter. 

Janine settled at her desk, looking at the invoices that needed to be paid, notes that needed to be typed, and now the phone was ringing. She took down the information and sounded the alarm. 

As the guys flew into action, Janine blew a kiss to Egon as Ecto-1 pulled out. Janine sat back in her desk chair, taking a good look at what most people would call chaos. 

“Yep,” she smiled as she thought to herself, “when you work for the Ghostbusters, this is normal.”

She started to hum lightly along with her radio as she started her day’s work.


End file.
